Thousands of Venezuelans March - (Chavez) is "just trying to buy time" *** The rival marches in Caracas, the nation's capital, took place peacefully, as helmeted riot police stood guard. But the fiery rhetoric in each camp highlighted the bitter divisions sparked by Chavez's 3-year-old rule in the oil-exporting South American nation.
Shouts of "Assassin, Assassin," and "Chavez Must Go" rose from the anti-government ranks. Protesters demanded the president step down or agree to a referendum on his rule. Chavez supporters - many wearing the red berets made fashionable by the army paratrooper-turned president - held banners labeling the president's opponents "fascist dictators."
Ricardo Vannini, a 46-year-old businessman taking part in the anti-Chavez protests, blew on a whistle as he marched toward the whitewashed halls of Congress. "I grew up with democracy and I never saw divisions like the ones we have now," Vannini said. "Chavez has planted hatreds that are scaring off investment."***
U.S. Brazil watchers doubt leftist candidate will win*** Despite the latest polls showing that Brazil's leftist candidate Luiz Inacio ''Lula'' da Silva is widening his lead for the October presidential elections, the majority view in U.S. business and diplomatic circles is that he will not win and that predictions of a dramatic shift to the left in Latin America's biggest country are premature. Is it wishful thinking on the part of Wall Street economists who fear a massive economic downturn for Brazil if da Silva's Workers Party wins the election? Or is da Silva, who has already failed in three previous runs for the presidency, incapable of surpassing the threshold of the estimated 35 percent of Brazilians who traditionally vote for the left?***